Improvement in propelling-wheels



W. S, WQT ZSheets-Sheetl. PROPELLING-WHEEL;

179,385. Patented June 27,1876.

WITNESSES; mum:

av Vfi ATTIIBNEYS.

MPETERS PNOTO-LITNOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON- D C 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. S.WOOTTON.

PROPELLING WHEELS.

Patented June 27,1876.

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WITNESSES: [W5

ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS. PMOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. n, c.

WILLIAM S. \VOOTTON, OF SGOTTSBURG, VIRGINIA.

lMPRQVEMENTlN PROPELLINGWHEELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 179,385, dated J une27, 1876; application filed June 13, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. WOOTTON of bcottsburg, in the county ofHalifax and State of Virginia, have invented a new and ImprovedPropeller-Wheel and I do hereby declare, that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in whichFigure l is a side elevation, showing the improved wheel in positiongrappling the bed of the river, and free to adjust itself about axes E.Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the wheel in its elevated position, withpaddles attached and adapted for use as a paddle-wheel. Fig. 3 is asection taken on the line as w of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a detail of one of thegrappling-arms.

My invention relates to a novel construction of propeller-wheel,designed more particularly to be used upon small boats on shallowrivers, but applicable also for general use. It belongs to that class ofpropeller-wheels which automatically adjust themselves to theirregularities of the bottom of the river, so that if a rock or sand-barbe struck by the wheel, it readily mounts and passes over the same. 1

The invention consists in a wheel having no central axis or radial arms,but constructed simply of a rim with an internal gear, which rim issupported in Variable positions upon two eccentric axes, one of which isa stationary drive-shaft, that actuates the wheel through a pinion, andthe other'of which axes is laterally adjustable, and provided withclutch and adjusting mechanism, whereby the wheel may be maintained atany given position and rotated, or may be left' free to its automaticadjustment to mount and pass over obstructions. The said wheel isprovided with grapplingarms, which engage with the bed of the river,

when the wheel is at its lowest point and op crating with its automaticadjustment, and urge the boat along, and is also provided with paddles,which, when the wheel is in a fixed elevated position, propel the boatby the resistance of the water, and in a manner characterized bypeculiar advantages, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawing, A represents the wheel mounted in the frame-work B,which framework represents a portion of the timbers of the boat. Saidwheel may be located in the center of the boat, at the stern, or theymay be arranged in pairs upon opposite sides of the boat. 0 G arehorizontal guides and supporting-rods, which are arranged parallel toeach other upon opposite sides of the wheel, which rods carry thebearings D D for the two axes E E, of which bearings D are stationaryand D laterally adjustable on rods 0, friction-rollers a being arrangedin the bcarings to engage at the top and bottom of said rods. The wheelconsists simply of a rim, T-shaped in cross-section, forming flanges b Ic, and having an internal gear of cogs or teeth, d, with which gearingthe pinion F of drive-shaft E engages to actuate the wheel, and withwhich also the pinion F of shaft E engages to adjust the wheel in itsdifferent positions.

G G are arc-shaped frames, curved to conform to the wheel, and providedwith flanged friction-wheels e, which run upon opposite sides of theflanges b b of the wheel, and serve to hold the latter in properposition in the frame while being rotated, the flanges of thefriction-wheel serving to prevent lateral displacement. Said frames areprovided upon each side with tubular journals f, which extend throughand revolve in bearings D D upon the rods'O, which arrangement permitsthe frames G G to oscillate and adapt themselves to the differentpositions of the wheel. Through the tubular journals of the frames passthe shafts E E, which carry the pinions F F, of which pinions F isrigidly attached to its shaft, and constitutes the means by which thepower is applied to the wheel, while F is a loose pinion, to be eithercoupled with the shaft E, when it is desired to raise the wheel byrotating said shaft, or to be detached therefrom when the wheel is leftto its automatic adjustment. This coupling mechanism consists of apivoted elbow-lever, g, forked at the end, and loosely connected withpinion F, so that a deflection of the lever moves the pinion laterallyon its shaft into or out of gear with the teeth of the wheel. The saidpinion is provided with a slotted thiinble, which receives a cross-pinon its shaft to effect the coupling, and it is held thus coupled by aspring, h, located between the pinion and the frame G.

From the above description it will be seen that the wheel is in thenature of a suspended wheel, having an adjustment about the driveshaft Eas a center, so as to rise and pass over obstructions, the frame G,shaft E, and bearing D each automatically adapting themselves to saidadjustment, and still supporting the wheel in such a free and easyrelation as to allow its continuous rotation through the drive-shaft inall positions.

The advantage arising out of the adjustment of the wheel about a singlestationary eccentric shaft E is, that in meeting obstructions the wheelrecedesnot in a direct vertical line, nor in a horizontal line, but justbetween the two, upwardly, obliquely, and to the rear, in the mostnatural and easy manner.

This easy manner of passing over obstructions is an important advantagein connection with this form of wheel, for the reason that it is mainlydesigned to propel the boat by continuous contact with the bottom ofshallow rivers through grappling-arms. These grappling-arms H consist offlukes attached to shanks, whichare bifurcated at their ends and pivotedto the flange c of the wheel. These arms are also provided with springs7;, which enable them to yield to the strain upon the wheel produced bya sudden concussion, and have also projections jj, which, when theflukes are in the bed of the river, exerting their traction, pass uponopposite sides of the flange c of the wheel, and prevent lateral displacement.

As the wheel rises and passes over irregularities of the bed of theriver, the wheel will, at times, have a sudden fall as it leaves aprojection of any kind, and to obviate strain upon the .working parts Ihave arranged a set of springs, it, upon the guide-rods O, which form acushion against which the mo vable bearings D strike when the wheelfalls, and by which the sudden descent of the wheel is broken.

When the wheel is to be used as a paddlewheel it is provided withpaddles I, which are attached to the flange 0 of the wheel, and theposition of the wheel is changed from that of a suspended wheel, asshown in Fig. 1, to a supported wheel, as in Fig. 2, in which the centerof the wheel is above the shafts. The wheel is elevated to this positionsimply by a rotation of the shaft E, and is held to its adjustment by aratchet-and-pawl mechanism, which consists of a horizontal rock-bar, l,journaled in extensions of the movable bearings, and provided with pawlsm m, and a lever, a. When said shaft is rocked in one direction by lovera, the pawls are made to engage with ratchet-teeth on bars J, arrangedparallel with guide-rods G, and by thus preventing the movement of themovable bearin gs outwardly prevents also the descent of the wheel.

As shown, the ends of these bars J are left free, and are adapted to besupported in guides 19 p of the bearings; but they may be rigidlyfastened at both ends, if desired. The lever n is held in position by aspring-catch, 0, or by a separate ratchet-wheel, if desired, and bymeans of the same the wheel may be adjusted variously inits elevatedposition.

When the paddles are employed it will not be necessary to remove thegrapplingarms, as they are bent back and fastened in the rear of thepaddles by the same bolt 0* which is employed for fastening on thepaddles, but one bolt being necessary for this purpose, for the reasonthat thetip of the flukes of the grapplingarms bear against the paddlesat a point near their outer edges, and thus relieve their attachment ofa large portion of the strain.

The advantage arising out of the use of this wheel as a paddle-wheel inits elevated position is as follows: The wheel being of large diameterthe curvature of its are, or any given portion of its circumference, iscomparatively small, and when in the elevated position it is adapted toshallower waters, a proportionally larger number of paddles are in thewater, and the line of their draft being more nearly horizontal, theycarry less dead water, and it thus secures to a certain extent the sameresults aimed at by feathering the paddles.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- 1. Apropeller-wheel, consisting of a rim with an internal cog-gear, incombination with two eccentric shafts carrying pinions, one of whichshafts is stationary and forms the drive-shaft, and the other of whichis movable, for the purposes of adjustment, as described.

2. The combination, with the wheel A, having a cog-gearing and flangesor guideways, of a shaft, E, carrying a pinion, and a frame, G, carryingfriction-wheels and journaled concentrically with shaft E, as and forthe purpose described.

3. The combination, with the wheel and the guide and support rods 0, ofthe adjustable bearing D, as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination, with the rods 0 and the adjustable bearing D,connected with and controlled in position by the position of the wheel,of the buffer or cushion springs is, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

5. The combination of the wheel A, having gear d, with the movable shaftE, the adjustable pinion F, and the lever g, substantially as and forthe purpose described.

6. The combination, with the wheel and the movable bearings D, of thebars J, having ratchet-teeth, and the pawl mechanism m n 0, as and forthe purpose described.

7. The combination, with a propeller-wheel, of spring-seatedgrappling-arms, substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. The combination, with the wheel, having 10. The propeller-wheel,consisting, essentially, of a T-shaped rim, having flanges b b 0, and aninternal gear, substantially as and for the purpose described.

W. S. WOOTTON.

Witnesses:

SoLoN O. KEMON, CHAS. A. PET'lIT.

